Who We Are
by DuHSPaZZiNGFeL
Summary: Aang and Katara were together since the end of the war, but what made them so special as a pair? What made them so special to each other? A collection of oneshots for Kataang Week 2013.
1. Hands

**AN: Sorry I'm a bit late with the first day prompt, but I was out of the country and just arrived late last night, so I was too tired to post anything. The second prompt will be posted tonight to make up for my lateness.**

**This collection of seven oneshots is in celebration of Kataang Week 3013.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or the Legend of Korra.**

**Day One: Hands**

The war was finally over and Aang got the girl, a fact to which he was amazed at himself. He was even taking a stroll with her through the marketplace of Ba Sing Se a few days after the great celebration that the Earth King had thrown together for them and the grand idea they called the Harmony Restoration Movement.

But for some odd reason, he couldn't bring himself to hold Katara's hand. He figured that maybe it was all due to first relationship nervousness, but there was no exact reason. It was like as soon as they got together, the awkwardness and the unsettling feeling of that tingling sensation whenever the person you liked touched you only escalated.

After the Hundred Year War finally ended, the Avatar thought that in general, doing things would eventually turn out to be easier. He believed that life would return to the simpler days where people and villages, even the sprawling cities, would run on a slower, more sedate pace. A world where people did not break out into sprints in the middle of secluded forest areas, where landslides were natural instead of catapult instigated, and where chases were almost nonexistent.

However, the chase still resided. The only difference was that the definition and contest if the word morphed into an entity less life-threatening and all the more heart-attack-inducing. You know, the kind of heart attack that made your stomach flip in odd circles like it was performing a circus dance on a tightrope, when the girl of your dreams gazed at you with those deep blues, you would have no idea what you were even talking about in the first place, you would be rendered speechless, and you would begin stuttering about nervously when she would inquire as to your health, but you would be clueless what she meant really…

Kind of like at that very moment.

"Aang," Katara said urgently, "You're staring at me. Is there something wrong?" The fifteen-year-old started twirling the wavy chestnut brown strands of her thick hair around her fingers. Her head tilted to the side and the pink petals of the flower piece that was pinned to her locks peeked out from just behind her. The light blue hues of her new Water Tribe clothing complimented her skin perfectly, like gentle ocean waves splashing against rocks the color of soft mahogany at the base of an island cliff.

The airbender only blinked in confusion. "Huh?" he asked in a distracted daze.

The girl pointed to herself with a raised eyebrow and explained their situation yet again, to which she only received a response that consisted of nervous laughter.

After a second of silence at that, Aang rubbed the back of his bald head and finally replied, "Nothing. It's just…I never realized how beautiful you are."

In truth, he was not only staring at his gorgeous girlfriend—a notion he would ardently attest to— but he was cautiously seeking the gaggle of females that seemed to be particularly interested in the couple, not that many knew they were a couple yet.

Perhaps unfortunately, the citizens of the Earth Kingdom capital were just as chatty and prone to the lures of gossip as any other crowd in a large city, and it probably helped when the objects of their gossip were two very, _very_, important and famous people. Aang could practically feel the stares boring into his back and he knew right away that they were being judged and that their interactions, fashion choices from their hair (or lack thereof), to their shoes, were being heavily evaluated. He felt undoubtedly uncomfortable, but he knew that he would eventually have to get used to it. Things like being meticulously looked after came with his position, but he was not so sure how Katara felt about it.

Girls giggled in the background as they continued to walk. In another unfortunate turn of events, neither of them recognized the glowers they were also receiving from others of the female population.

"Does cheesiness run in the Air Nomad line?" Katara chuckled, seemingly unaware. The previous comment had made her let out a cheeky chortle, which only further embarrassed Aang. Luckily, the question was never answered. The Avatar was feeling downright self-conscious and a rush of red colored his face.

At that moment, a wooden cart also had interrupted their conversation when its wheels rammed into the chalky pavement mere inches away from their feet and at least a dozen cabbages were released into the air from its contents, flying in green streaks as fast and as menacing as cannonballs being launched from a high up fortress.

The distant cry of "My cabbages!" resounded and a distressed man dressed in Earth Kingdom attire who appeared to be caught somewhere in between being middle-aged and the beginnings of senior citizenry, made an abrupt appearance. His rough and calloused hands gripped the sides of his turban in frustration and there were literal tears in his eyes.

One had to bear in mind that this spectacular and melodramatic spectacle was all for the sake of his "deceased" merchandise.

Exasperated, Aang and Katara both sighed when they realized just who the man was. After all, they and their friends had encountered him numerous times before on their journeys. Plus it did not help the predicament when the merchant constantly seemed to glare at them whenever one was within the vicinity of _at least _a meter. He even shot them a vicious accusatory glance that screamed, "You're the culprits so you better run if you want to live."

The irate cabbage merchant raised a fist in anger and, much to the astonishment of the gathering crowd of people that had begun to form in a loose oval around the small group in the midst of Ba Sing Se's Middle Ring marketplace; he released a rather loud and ominous growl.

The duo started to scoot nearer to one another, blinking in anticipation as adrenaline began to instinctively pump through their systems. The master waterbender placed a hand near the dark yellow collar of her companion's robes and put on her sweetest, most convincingly endearing smile.

"Would you like some help sir?" Katara suggested kindly.

Her help was dutifully ignored and the man only narrowed his eyes.

Just then, Aang's gray eyes discreetly landed on the convenient rock that sat just at the bottom of one of the cart's wheels. The earth around the seemingly unnoticeable rise in the ground was lifted just so that the grains of dust looked like they just barely followed the upward pattern. In other words, the tiny formation was unnatural and probably should not have been there in the first place.

Without further pause, Aang said, "Someone here is an earthbender."

"Well that could be anyone! Including _you_, Mr. Avatar," the old man blurted out heatedly.

The Avatar in question put up his hands in order to placate him. "I'm only saying that I think someone earthbended the ground around your cart so that it would react that way," and he pointed to the rock at the wheels, "I thought I felt a tiny rumble."

"WHAT?! That's ridiculous! If anyone here is guilty of destroying my cabbages, it's you! In almost every city that I go to and every town that you happen to be in, my cabbages go up!"

Instead of arguing, Aang let his gaze follow the slight trail that he was sure the earthbending had left behind as a clue and lifted his eyes just in time to see one of the girls in the conglomeration let out a tiny squeak, her feet bare and dusty in the characteristic fashion of many native earthbenders, her black hair tied messily into a ponytail, and then she turned rapidly, pushing others away and tried to make her way into one of the back alleys.

A commotion started up and Aang was tempted to run after her as the elderly man barely even noticed anything and kept his angry stare on him. Though, it was Katara who acted first. Quick as a lemur chasing runaway food, she waterbended a water whip from her animal skin pouch attached to her hip and deftly controlled it so that it swam around the bystanders and caught the girl around the waist, causing her to stumble. She was dragged steadily and skillfully back towards the couple and the merchant.

When the girl finally was standing before them, water still clinging to her middle in assurance that she wouldn't try to bolt again, Katara questioned, "You're the one, right?"

The earthbender nodded.

"You should apologize. This man just lost a lot of his sales products."

For a moment, the real culprit appeared like she was really going to ask for forgiveness and for a second the eternally livid cabbage merchant looked at least a little more relaxed, but then there was a _boom_ and a pointed boulder had risen out of the center of the wood cart, utterly destroying the device and its contents altogether. Leafy chucks blasted out and the girl went so far as the begin struggling at the water tugging her back, but her feet were still free.

In a last ditch effort, she earthbended dust into Katara's eyes, who was forced to release the water and it splashed onto the ground until it started to soak into the soil.

The strange girl had fully broken free but, instead of turning the other way, she started attempting to attack Katara, who luckily bended new water from a second pouch in order to defend herself. The Water Tribe master turned quickly, barely glancing at Aang who was still stunned.

"You don't deserve to be with Avatar Aang!" she bellowed and swiftly both the airbender and waterbender had deduced that she was quite the jealous fan-girl. More than jealous perhaps, maybe _violent _was the better word.

The Earth Kingdom female ran after Katara and the cabbage merchant had run after them as well, shouting colorful profanities and demands of some kind of apology thank you very much. Aang airbended a gust of wind in an attempt to trip the stranger, but it was evaded, albeit with some effort.

Accidentally knocking over a porcelain vase holding a moon lily in the shade of some store's counter, he practically flew near to Katara's side, his robes swishing almost gracefully. And then both of them were on the run from the vicious and envious fan-girl who was in turn on the run from an old man was had somehow go it into his head that he should start throwing bits of ruined cabbage at them.

No one even thought of bending any element, which was especially strange for the Avatar who lived and breathed the bending arts. It was a good chase through the market, surprised sellers yelping, and children laughing at the excitement. Aang could almost hear the horrified and indignant cries of the councilmen who _strongly suggested _that the Avatar act with utmost dignity in every situation.

They turned a corner and Aang grabbed Katara's hand, urging her to run with him and at his side.

Both huffed and the adrenaline rush only encouraged them to run faster and faster, shoes clanking unceremoniously against the cobblestone streets. Behind them, a table flipped over as the girl skidded around the same corner that they had just cleared and another unassuming customer yelled.

Beads of sweat began to roll down Aang's forehead and he gripped his partner's hand tighter as if it were a lifeline. He could hear her breathing heavily and he knew that her cheeks would be flushed with all the effort.

A bit of spoiled cabbage hit him in the back of his head, courtesy of the crazy old man, and it slid uncomfortably into the top portion of his shirt where he could feel it slip and slide against his skin, its leaves cold. He shivered and shouted, "Gross!"

Involuntarily, the master waterbender laughed and they turned into another, narrower, street, up nicely crafted steps, and into an alley covered in ragged bed sheets stories high that flapped on clotheslines and served as a makeshift roof. Seconds later, they came to a dead end.

Huffing, and still chuckling at the ridiculousness of it all, they didn't realize as their hands were then gripping each other tighter than ever before, their palms damp. They heard muffled yells not far behind and, in a quick decision, Aang grabbed Katara's other hand and said in the most serious voice he could muster, "I need you to trust me."

"I trust you," she replied resolutely, humor in her voice.

Then, he held her by the waist, still holding her other hand, and blasted air beneath them until they swirled out of sight and into the cloths about them, causing them to ruffle about. The fabrics hit them in the face as the air propelled them from the ground, but they made it past them, and soon Aang was kicking himself in his mind at his decision to leave his staff behind.

But he paid it no more heed and soon the couple was on the roof of someone's apartment home, breathless, and they glanced at each other, still holding hands, and Aang airbended another gust of wind and another, making it appear as if they were jumping from roof to roof until they reached the edge steps that led to the entrance to the Inner Ring.

They ran again, not bothering to notice that the shouts that had followed them only minutes previously were no longer sounding.

The couple dashed up the marble steps that led into a large garden near some noble's grand home and collapsed near a bush of roses, laughing hysterically.

Throughout the entire exchange, Aang and Katara never let go of each other's hands and Aang, who was still tentative about even trying to do it, was never afraid of taking Katara's fingers in his palms again.


	2. Sleepy

**Day Two: Sleepy**

Grogginess felt like a constant banging in your eardrum, a pounding somewhere in the depths of your mind or maybe even a slight headache prickling at the back of your skull. The feeling was that of a gradual drooping of consciousness, unpleasant because you had to force yourself to remain awake. It felt like a sandstorm was blurring your vision, whipping unhappily against your eyelashes as you were forced to close your eyes against the waves, but had to keep them open at the same time so that you could see your destination through the desert.

And this dripping, unfriendly, strange feeling was something that everyone felt, including an all-powerful Avatar, though from what Katara could see, he probably did not deign to admit it.

Two months of constant travel, council meetings in the newly budding Republic City, stopping all sorts of trouble from Fire Nation rebels to a platypus-bear wishing to rampage a river town, and with barely any rest, is a long time. But finally, _finally,_ the two of them would ride back to their friends in another part of the Earth Kingdom continent.

Luckily Sokka and Toph had split off from the couple a week previously in order to help sort things out in the sparkling and novel Bei Fong Metalbending Academy. If the two friends were with them, Katara was sure that there would be trouble around the corner just about every first minutes, not including the trouble caused from outside sources and not by the duo in question.

Perhaps all was well, though. She was also quite sure that at least her brother would loudly complain about the slow pace the Avatar was taking while climbing onto the back of his flying bison.

The Water Tribe girl observed how Aang dragged his feet along the tiles in front of a building that would eventually grow to be the grand city hall of Republic City once it was completed. His arms dangled at his sides like they were lifeless, and, unbeknownst to him, his back made a slight hunch as he walked.

Appa groaned after seeing the state of his master and made a move to scoot a little closer with his head bent forward a bit so that he could make it easier for Aang to mount him. Momo chirped wildly and jumped from the airbender's shoulder and onto one of the bison's curved horns, his feet tugging onto the ropes looped around it like he was checking to see if they were wound securely enough.

Katara watched as Aang sighed, bended a slight breeze at the soles of his feet, and gracefully twirled onto his animal guide's back. She herself had already climbed onto the beast a few minutes prior and witnessed the whole thing whilst perched atop the saddle.

Sighing yet again and without bothering to take even the slightest glance over his shoulder and into the awaiting and expectant eyes of the councilmen who were watching the couple leave, the airbender said, "Yip, yip," minus his usual enthusiasm.

Appa kicked off the ground with his hind legs, all six legs finally propelling him and his passengers into the sky and the wind whooshed around them in swirls of chill.

Maybe from the ground they appeared to be majestic, flying on the currents of the air, floating with skill and poise, more graceful than any hawk soaring with its wings spread open and its feathers billowing against the gusts. But in reality, the ride was a bumpy and turbulent one.

Katara felt like she was continuously rocking in her seat and the saddle shook involuntarily as Appa no longer flew in a straight and steady line, but rather in an irregular pattern that Aang did not seem to notice at all. The bison and lemur did however, and both animals were whining and moaning in their own languages, trying and failing to gain their master's attention.

Things went on like that for at least an hour before Katara was sick of it. She had been staring at the airbender's back for what seemed like ages and throughout the entire time, his shoulders stooped further downward and his already obvious fatigue grew more and more pronounced.

Gathering up her wits, she crawled over to Appa's head, the bison's fur scratching against the fabrics of her clothing. She noticed that Aang's head started drooping and in response Appa began flying in a diagonal path progressively towards the ground, a path that she was definitely not willing to take.

She gently shook one of Aang's shoulders, jerking him awake and gently prodded, "I think you need to rest."

"Wha…no I'm fine," the teenager replied sleepily, eyelids sagging, "You don't have to worry."

The waterbender smiled, clearly amused with his denial. "We're flying downward and Appa's been trying to keep up his flight without getting too confused by the mixed signals you're giving him with the reigns."

Aang glanced at the ropes he held in his hands like they were foreign territory.

"You haven't slept properly in three days," she added and when she saw that he was about to protest she said, "Don't think you can tell me otherwise. I saw the light in your room on all night. You need sleep."

The girl touched her fingers onto his and gently coaxed the worn reigns out of his hands, and Appa all the while made grateful noises in the back of his throat. Almost immediately, the transition caused the bison to fly up higher and straighter. Aang barely noticed anything.

"Katara, you really don't have to—" And then the Avatar yawned so wide that it felt almost as if he was airbending and sucking the element in. The corners of his gray eyes watered as a result and he brought up a palm to rub his eye, not even bothering to mask his tiredness anymore.

"See," the waterbender pointed out, "You're exhausted. Go to sleep."

"But—"

"Relax. I'll fly us to Gaoling. Even the Avatar needs his rest, right?" she asked and then her lips quirked into another lovely smile. "If it makes you feel any better, I'll wake you up when we're close." Then, with a flush on her cheeks, she quietly suggested, "…you could sleep right next to me so that it would feel like you're still steering."

Her blue irises glanced over to see Aang, only to finally realize that he was already fast asleep, still positioned in a cross-legged sitting style. He head was bent at the neck and his breaths were even.

Her soft laughter chimed, her hands still gripped the reigns, and she moved so that she was nearer to Aang until his head rested atop her shoulder, a warm weight that made her heart flutter at the proximity.

Yes, even the Avatar could get sleepy sometimes.


	3. Dance

**AN: I am terribly sorry, yet again, for the lateness of this prompt. I had unexpectedly caught something yesterday and was not feeling well enough to write. Hopefully, posting this now will make up for everything. The prompt for today will also be posted tonight. **

**Day Three: Dance**

Ironically, Firelord Zuko was not the first male in their group to be married, but rather the second after Sokka. The difficulties and turbulences that were offered to him upon his arrival to the chief position in his nation could only build up higher and higher until he was forced to keep postponing his marriage with Mai for a later date, years later and into just past his mid-twenties.

Fortunately, that fact never stopped his ardent planning to ask for her hand in marriage when the time was right and in the end the timing worked out in both their favors.

So, that brought the original Team Avatar to the Fire Nation royal palace, in the midst of the resulting wedding reception which happily took place in a balmy summer evening. Along with them came hundreds of guests from all over the world, noble and otherwise, all in the traditional colorful garb of their respective countries.

Square paper lanterns hung on strings across the outdoor pavilion, each glowing respectively in orange-yellow light and sending circles of bright reflections upon the pattern of stones that made up the floors outside. Red and gold streamers were draped around crevices, banisters, and weaved into decorative bows on practically every corner. Rows of long tables sat neatly, evenly spaced from one another just below the terrace steps that led to the main table where the newly wed royal family and their closest guests ate joyfully, and just at the base of these steps were two identical statues that stood on either side that symbolized the golden dragon of marriage.

Zuko and his new wife sat in the middle, eating and speaking with their friends around them. They were both dressed in traditional Fire Nation reds and gold. Zuko's hair was up in its usual topknot with the shimmering fire-shaped hairpiece of the Firelord himself. Mai's hair was deep black, shiny, and beautiful as always, except that instead of the typical buns that used to grace the sides of her head, her locks were intricately braided into a very delicate form atop her. A golden and flower patterned hairpiece was stuck through the bun, flames decorating its edges. She and her husband were seemingly glowing.

"Congratulations," Aang said to both of the newlyweds with a smile and the others agreed wholeheartedly. Katara, who was sitting nearest to him, nodded her head enthusiastically and with what one could easily call pride.

"Yeah," Sokka grumbled out with his mouth uncouthly filled to the brim with meat. "Thuki and I havthe been waithing_ forever_!"

Suki, all dressed without her traditional Kyoshi Warrior face paint but instead with a gorgeously threaded emerald and silver gown, slapped the sword master solidly on his arm, to which she received as moan in reply. "Don't talk with your mouthful, Sokka," she reprimanded harshly and Toph was laughing so hard next to them that she was clutching her stomach while she tried not to spit out a piece of komodo-chicken, "It's rude and I think I felt food hit my face."

"She's right, Snoozles!" the blind earthbender blurted out in between guffaws, "You sound like Appa when he's trying to eat and chew out Momo for stealing his moonpeaches at the same time!"

Clearly peeved, Sokka narrowed his azure eyes in annoyance and in the background his younger sister and the Avatar eagerly joined in the laughter.

The Firelord smiled, golden eyes and his scar crinkling with uncharacteristic mirth. "Well then," he stated as he politely folded his hands on top of the table, sleeves ruffling. "Besides Sokka's eating habits, what he said was probably right, though I have to say that waiting for _us _is definitely nowhere near as painful as waiting for _certain people_."

"I think I'll agree," Mai supplemented with a smirk.

Everyone's eyes except the Bei Fong's slowly glided over to Aang and Katara and they both blushed furiously, both transforming into figurative tomatoes when they realized just what the others in their group were referring to. More loud chuckles were heard throughout the guests sitting at the main table and goblets clinked together as a toast to the agreed upon joke of the night.

Minutes later and after a good amount of teasing, punches in the arms courtesy of Toph, and indecently spat out food particles later, Zuko and Mai stood up from their seats, properly side-by-side, and announced that it was time for one of their nation's traditional wedding events. Confused looks were exchanged, but the monarch ignored them and only gestured to the Fire Sages dressed in dark crimson that suddenly lined the perimeter.

Mai called out for all unmarried women present to line up at the bottom of the terrace steps to receive a round, plain white, and unlit paper lantern from the Sages that would pass them out.

Toph groaned and stood up, followed by Katara who curiously took her post nearest to her friend. Dozens of women around their age or older stood in a perfect line before the steps, fiddling interestedly with their dresses or the lanterns they had just gotten placed in their hands. Each girl held their object just slightly out, gently gripping the edges.

Then, Zuko explained that this Fire Nation custom was held in order to see which woman was most likely to get married next and that each lantern would be carefully lit by the groom—obviously himself—via firebending or otherwise, and the woman with the flame that turned green would be the selected candidate. He furthered the subject by also adding that the flame would turn green because in one of the lanterns powdered copper was hidden and placed near the wick by the Sages themselves.

Last but not least, he asked all unmarried men to line up just in front of the women because they would be there for the last portion of the tradition. Whoever had the green flame would choose a man out of the line to have a dance with. And so, Aang got up from the table and stood near other males who blinked at him with either awe or nervousness for his status.

Seconds later, Zuko and Mai stepped out together to stand in between the two lines, facing the girls. Steadily, the groom breathed in, filling his chest hungrily with air, lifted his arms gracefully, and then breathed out while simultaneously lowering his hands.

All at once, the lanterns came to life, flickering in innocent yellow. The men all glanced around to see who the lucky girl would end up being, but one in particular grinned warmly when he spotted who it was.

There, towards the end of the queue, Katara's lantern glowed green.

There were cheers and howls (from Sokka especially), and the Fire Sages quickly took the lanterns from all the women, placing them decoratively and reverently on the corners of the pavilion. The last green lantern was placed atop a simple pedestal that was erected in the middle of a square, oak wood dance floor that was near the front tables.

Smiling and sending over knowing looks at each other, Zuko and Mai gestured at her and the men in a signal to continue. The unmarried men all gazed at the Water Tribe bender expectantly, but Aang glanced at his feet, anxiously twiddling his thumbs. In the near distance, they could hear the amused cheers of Team Avatar.

Katara took a deep breath and finally lifted her head. Suddenly she was feeling incredibly nervous. Everyone was watching. Her palms were getting sweaty and she bit her bottom lip. Her evening gown which was simple and yet somehow elaborate, swished in its light hues of blue and white as the wave patterns that were nicely stitched onto it really did appear to be waves in the ocean as they moved.

Then, she was determined. She walked forward, step-by-step, and in seconds she was just in front of Aang and his gray eyes were glistening in wonder. She held out her hand and the men resignedly dispersed. He lifted his hand to hold onto hers, and then they were lost in each other's stares.

Almost immediately, the music started playing. There was the uneven sound of the Tsungi horn playing a lovely and smooth tune, of string instruments and erhus and guzhengs being plucked and bells tingling to a soft yet entrancing beat.

They glided to the dance floor as one, twirling gracefully as they went, and when the Avatar and his waterbending master reached it, they were already well into a magical slow dance, not noticing the engrossed crowd.

The words, "It's just you and me right now," echoed in Katara's head as she remembered their first dance in that cave all those years ago during the war.

Whispers of how beautiful their performance was resounded among the people and many smiled at the poise each person had.

Without realizing it, the couple was making a grand, magnificent circle around the pedestal with the glowing green lantern. The flame moved as they moved, stayed still as they stayed still, and, in the end when Aang dipped Katara, clutching gently to her back, the flame bowed as they bowed.

And they were lost with themselves, love engulfing them, light reflecting off their clothes, and they did not even notice when the music changed into another tune and more couples joined them on the floor.

Throughout the night and in their hearts, the music of the Green Flame Dance never stopped playing.


	4. Smirk

**AN: I am very aware that I am a day behind with these, but they will definitely be finished before the week is over. I am also very sorry about posting this one late again. When I said I got sick, I didn't realize that I would relapse and I ended up catching a fever last night as well, so there was no writing that could be done. However, luckily it was just a one day thing and I'm alright now and ready to catch up!**

_**To the guest reviewer(s) that reviewed the previous chapters:**_** Thank you very much! I am sorry that I cannot properly respond to you considering that when you review without an account there is no email attached. However, I'd like to thank you this way instead!**

**Day Four: Smirk**

In his dream Aang was surrounded by walls and walls of fire. They were tall walls, taller than the great thick ones that surrounded the city of Ba Sing Se. However, they were impenetrable just the same.

The fire flickered in maliciousness, waving evilly like demons would wave their arms to ward off good, like omens would dance in the light of the sun and all the while they would cast the blackest, darkest shadows in oblique silhouettes, threatening to choke those who dared to come near. Moving, _moving_, in deep orange, red, and yellow, until the natural light of the moon was completely obscured by flames that only wished to consume all else in the world.

Aang stood without a shirt, once again in the clothes he wore the day he defeated Firelord Ozai, except instead of his twelve-year-old body, he took on the form of his adult self. His feet were firmly balanced on one of the iconic stone pillars in the Earth Kingdom's Wulong Forest, the ground trembling beneath him.

Lightning flashed in brilliant and terrifying blue streaks across the sky, like arrows being shot skillfully by enemy archers. The wind was howling in his ear, but he was not the one controlling it.

Ozai was before him on another pillar, his muscles rippling in exertion, but instead of appearing as tired and worn out as he should have been, there was barely a drop of sweat that could be seen. He was as healthy looking as he had been in the beginning of the fight; the man's dark hair moved through the air.

"You cannot save the world, Avatar," the former Firelord's voice echoed menacingly. "You're just a little boy."

"I'm not a boy anymore!" Aang shouted in reply.

The evil man beamed ominously and continued, "Oh, but to me you always are."

And then Ozai moved unlike Aang had ever seen him do so before. He was faster than anyone, faster than an eel-hound running through land or sea. He was barely a flash of color, barely a thing that could be easily spotted. He did not even appear to look human anymore. His face was bleakly ethereal, so much like Koh's facade was when he was about to steal an innocent's face, so much like Azula's was—as Katara had informed him—right as she shot him down in the catacombs below Ba Sing Se.

The airbender could not move and he finally noticed that he was stuck in place, a virtual frozen man akin to when he was trapped in the iceberg for a century.

His lungs were air tight, in a box. His legs were stiff, his arms like fiddles and just as seemingly breakable as them.

Another flash blasted Aang in his eyes and he was forced to close them, and then suddenly Azula herself as standing near to her father, golden eyes gleaming in unrefined and purely malevolent mirth. She was fourteen again and in her battle stance. Her hair was cut as unevenly as he remembered, but she was different…

…different because in her hands she held Aang's months old child, Kya who was screaming in fear and crying so hard that he felt his heart practically shake with terror.

And then Katara appeared and malignant fingers were pointed at her neck as well by Ozai. His family was trapped. His wife was tied and bound with chains. He could not move. Katara was calling his name and telling him to save their child, to only save Kya if he could not save her as well.

He was the Avatar, and yet nothing could be done.

He was the Avatar, and yet he could not save the world from these horrible tyrants.

He was the Avatar, and yet he could not save his family.

His eyes focused on this fourteen-year-old Azula of the Fire Nation. Her gaze was crazed, but yet filled with determination for revenge. Her fist turned to blue fire and she _smirked _so evilly that it chilled him to the bone and soon he was yelling and Katara was yelling and they both were crying out in only ways that parents could cry out when their children were in any kind of danger. Azure flames engulfed them all, but all Aang could see in his thoughts just as he woke up was that horrible smirk before his family was destroyed…

But so he woke with a start.

Aang glanced to the side of himself, only to note that the sheets were undone and Katara was absent from his side. His rubbed a sweaty palm down his face and was suddenly grateful that Kya was now at an age that she was old enough to sleep all the way through the night because he was so sure that if she had been even the slightest bit awake, she would cry just at the sense that her father was in great distress.

His gray eyes quickly sought out the crib that his daughter slept in and sighed in relief when he glimpsed her tiny fist gripping the edge of one of her blankets.

Then, with an abruptly heavy heart, he noticed yet again that Katara was not in the room. But when he caught the mysteriously strong moonlight seeping through the single glass window in their home in the South Pole before they officially moved into Air Temple Island in Republic City, he knew in his mind exactly why she was not there and possibly the reason why his nightmare was so vivid.

Outside, visibly streaming silver light though the evening, was an enormous, round, full moon.

"Oh," the Avatar breathed and he carefully removed himself from his bed and followed his spouse to the snowy hills out of the comforts of their home that he knew she was after he put on a thickly woven jacket. None of the sleeves contained an ounce of animal fur, as in following tradition with his people and culture.

His boots crunched in the snow and Yue's glow glanced off of his skin in tiny rivulets as if leading him to where he needed to go.

A few seconds later, he spotted the soft form of Katara as her arms moved skillfully and elegantly, moving snow and melting it into its liquid form. Not a single droplet fell out of place and the blues shone in the light beautifully.

Immediately he was entranced, not even noticing that he had stopped just short of his wife, but he also felt as if he was still seeing her as she was in that dream.

The waterbender's braid whipped about her face and she looked up to see Aang and she smiled. "Come here to join me?" she asked. "Did the full moon wake you up too?" But then she saw the odd crinkle between his eyebrows and she knew that he had had a terrible nightmare.

She just knew because she knew _him_ very well.

"Tell me about it," Katara commanded softly. She did not have to ask if he had one at all and she knew that he would tell her because they never hid anything from each other.

And almost spontaneously, everything he saw in his mind's eye came blurting out and the snow she was bending dropped with a splash and the moon only seemed to burn brighter above them. She was whispering numerous words of comfort to him and they were embracing tightly. She reminded him that the war was long over and that Ozai and Azula were long put into custody and that _he had saved the world _and that _his family was safe so he did not have to worry._

"It just felt so real," Aang murmured in her ear, clenching his eyelids closed. "The fire…everything."

"I know," the woman responded.

He held her tighter. "I know now that fire is meant to give life and warmth, but sometimes, when I remember things like this…"

"That's not the truth, Aang," Katara said just as softly, "And you know it. Those two lost because they could never understand what their element was really supposed to mean…the life and warmth."

The Avatar nodded slowly, reassuring himself and accepting her words.

"C'mon," she spoke calmly and gestured to the area around them. "I know what you need." And soon the pair was waterbending in the moonlight. The snow swirled and twirled about them like graceful white ribbons and it felt almost as if both of them were back to training, but this time there was no time limit nor timeframe to go under. The war was over and they reminded themselves of that fact over and over again.

Silver reflected in the melting snow that they had created. The stars made a dance in the nighttime sky.

The mood that had started out so somber slowly began to lift and tentatively they were both smiling. And then Katara gave Aang a smirk, but not the kind of smirk that he had etched into his mind not too long ago. It was not the unkind smirk that Azula had struck him before she burned everything to the ground in those awful, awful, killing flames that were the opposite of the element's true and beautiful meaning.

Katara gave him a playful smirk.

And soon thereafter Aang was soaked head to toe in water, laughing.


	5. Candles

**AN: I am so sorry that these oneshots are all over the place and not even completed yet when they should be considering Kataang Week is over, but I will finish these by tomorrow. Considering that I didn't post till a day late because I was out of the country, I was sick another day, and I had a crazy birthday party to go to another day, I'm doing pretty good. All oneshots will be posted though. (And technically tomorrow, the 30****th**** is one week from when I started posting these, so that would be my unofficial one week.)**

**NOTE: Here, Tenzin is not born yet **

**Anyway, on with the Kataang! **

**Day Five: Candles**

"Nana, what do you think you're doing?!"

An irate Katara was running around their home on Air Temple Island with an empty, gleaming frying pan. The panicked squawks of a lemur pup could be heard throughout the house and flecks of unused cooking oil flew from the pan in splatters that hit the wood panels of the floor. Molten droplets of candlewax also dropped to the ground, coming from the still dripping candles that were clutched in the flying animal's paws.

"Nana! Really! Give me back those!" The mother swung the cooking pan again, thick liquid oil moving in an arc until some of it landed just below a grand vase of bamboo that stood in the corner of the dining room. "I need those for the cake!"

You see, that day was Bumi's first birthday and therefore it was his first ever birthday party. So, therefore, the event and the party were bound to be a special one regardless of the outcome of the day. As a result, Katara really tried to make everything as perfectly perfect as possible, from cooking the meals herself with heavily guided directions to the other Air Acolytes residing near their home, to baking the cake herself, to cleaning anything and everything religiously.

It probably did not help that a three-year-old Kya was running all over the place and had just discovered that she could waterbend. She was already attempting to trip everyone by bending water puddles all over the compound, especially near the sky bison stables. The animals were definitely not happy about that.

Plus, it also was a horrible idea for a four month pregnant woman to be running around the house with a potential weapon.

And it also did not help that it was most likely little Kya's fault that Katara was chasing Nana the flying lemur in the first place.

The mother had discovered that her child had made her merry way into the place where the lemur cages were and somehow she had climbed a stepping stool to open one of them, only to release Nana by accident. Momo—bless that old little guy—was still sleeping and could not be bothered to help the mothers watch their children.

Then everything went clearly to havoc once the young waterbender decided it was fun to bend some out of the fountain in the front yard and splash water onto the pup, who was the farthest emotion from amused as possible. As a form of retribution and downright revenge, the baby mammal swept into the home, chased happily by the toddler, and flew around erratically, waiting for a moment to strike.

However, the moment to strike just so happened to be when Katara was in the room and in the kitchen in particular, preparing the birthday feast.

Her paws grasped onto the just lit candles that the mother had stuck onto the fruit cake not five seconds previously. The flames were blown out, the wax was melting, but luckily no one got burned. Everyone was running around in chaos and cooking utensils were thrown out the door towards the wayward lemur.

…And so that brought the scene back to square one: Katara was angry and tripping over furniture all over the dining area, trying to reach for the candles that Nana had _oh-so-graciously_ taken from them.

She had finally resorted to bending water from the bowl sitting on the floor just under the crack in the ceiling that was filling to the brim with swashing liquid that was caught from dripping rainwater, not that it mattered anymore because rather than it being used for plant water, it would be used as a capturing mechanism for an animal gone insane.

Part of her was glad that Nana was just a pup, otherwise she did not know if she would be able to fully forgive her.

Dropping the frying pan and sending sparks flying when the object made contact with the wood floor, she delicately moved a hand to the porcelain bowl, deftly controlled the element in the air, and made it encircle the crazy flying lemur until she was trapped and squeaking. The Water Tribe woman made the water gently bring Nana to her chest where she sighed and gently pried the candles from the paws with her fingers.

Nana "meeped" in Katara's arms, struggled for a second, was released from the water which was resignedly made to give the bamboo in the corner pot a drink, and she flopped over until she hit the floor, wings batting about aimlessly.

And then the poor pup, in only a way that any lemur's child could, started whimpering and whining until Katara was so sure she was crying.

In seconds, the waterbending master's heart sank and instantly she felt guilty, even though a moment before she had felt the greatest satisfaction in finally obtaining the missing candles which were now grasped within one of her hands.

Sighing, Katara dropped to her knees; her hair ragged, and patted Nana as soothingly as possible, even going so far as to rock her like she would her own human children. Though her attempts were futile and if possible, the baby only cried harder and louder.

Resigned, she decided she would call the only other person that would be able to endure her plight and fix it in one blow: Aang.

She closed her eyes, shushing the lemur, and waited for the airbender to come rushing in, robes and all, with the entire glimmering aura any aspiring hero could appreciate wholeheartedly. It was one of those things about her husband that she secretly appreciated, though she never admitted it to anyone. Perhaps she thought herself strange for liking that about someone. Embarrassedly enough, she had a feeling Aang knew about it, if the constant teasing about his Avatar-self swooping in to save the day was any indication.

The colorful yellow and orange curtains that led to the dining room flapped open, revealing the Avatar himself. He was in his normal everyday clothes, his collar up and seemingly stiff and soft at the same time. Cradled in his arms was a napping infant Bumi who was sucking his thumb without a care in the world, his brown tufts of hair seemingly messy even though there was barely any on his head. Kya with her ruffled and tiny dual braids had a hand tightly gripping the lower half of her father's pants cloth, her face innocent and her blue eyes big and glistening.

"Nana is sorry, Mama," the small girl said to her mother, lips trembling. "Kya sorry too."

It was clear for the toddler's face that she knew that Katara had been quite angry with her daughter because of the fact that she helped to mess up a lot of the preparations for Bumi's celebration, and it was also very clear that Aang knew it as well and that he had therefore taken the initiative to gently coax an apology out of her.

Katara exhaled. "It's alright, Kya," and she shot her a forgiving smile. Then, she gestured to the whimpering lemur and silently she pleaded for help with her as well. But, as the trio got closer to the mother and the animal, the reactions were instantaneous.

Kya's eyes filled up with tears and soon she was crying with Nana. Bumi woke up to the sound of his older sister wailing and he too started to sob out loud. In response, the master waterbender smacked a hand to her face and Aang appeared all the more uneasy and uncomfortable, laughing nervously.

"Shouldn't you be moving less since you're pregnant, Katara?" he asked with raised eyebrows and a bit of a concerned look, but she appeared as if she did not hear him and only stared intently at Nana.

Aang got the message and so ignoring all the noise around him, he smiled and squeezed the shoulder of his wife, still holding onto their youngest child. He let go of her and started to stroke the baby lemur while he let out soothing sounds, lightly pinching the animal behind her ears in a playfully kind gesture till she finally calmed down and gazed those giant green eyes at him, chirping innocent incoherent babbles to which Bumi replied just the same.

At the same time, all the crying ceased and the children plus the lemur were all joyfully mimicking each other, making innocuous sounds with their mouths and Kya was laughing and Katara was chucking and in a moment Air Acolytes burst through the curtains to see if there was anything wrong.

"Avatar Aang!" one called out worriedly.

"Master Katara!" another bellowed.

They were met with an oddly jubilant scene and the family of four was shaking with mirth, a lemur crawling in circles around them.

The group glanced at each other, then at the family, and they all shook their heads. One moved so that the cake should be brought in and numerous dishes were set out and served, all without Katara's help in serving them herself. She had already done enough work.

Baby Bumi was gurgling and this time he was held by his mother who twiddled her thumb under his chin after their strange ordeal. Aang picked up the unlit candles and stuck them back into the fruit cake's frosting, simultaneously lighting them with a flick of his firebending.

The small party roared to life and the true celebration started and drifted well into the night until the children could take no more and were safely tucked into their bed and crib and to sleep. Momo respectively took back in his grandchild, chirping in his lemur language and lightly scolding her (from what Aang could only tell).

And soon it was just Aang and Katara walking down the dock on the island.

In the distance, the newly budding Republic City lit up the night sky and the buildings that only seemed to grow taller and taller by the day appeared to really be scraping the stars. The water below rippled majestically and the lights painted the ocean in various shades of sunset, the atmosphere above dark.

"Let's light the candle now," the waterbender suggested to her husband who only nodded in agreement.

In following in the Water Tribe tradition for any child's first birthday, the couple gathered up a single candle that represented a successful first year and lit it, a small flicker indicating that first beautiful life glow. Katara instinctively rubbed her stomach when she thought of that life and they beamed together.

They placed the candle in a floating stand and set it off like a miniature boat onto the waters of Yue Bay and watched with keen eyes as the spark glided away on the waves, looking for all the world like a mark of a remnant star.

And Aang pulled Katara close and they congratulated each other for being able to raise Bumi to that day. The crescent moon lit up their faces and they leaned in as a heartbeat, still thinking of all the lit candles that made up their life together, and closed the distance.


	6. Healing

**Day Six: Healing**

For that whole week, Katara was sick with a fever.

The worst of it was the thought that she was sixteen weeks pregnant, just before that twenty week mark, and that her body was also preparing for another life. She was lucky though, nothing had happened during that one dizzying week of headaches and heat flashes and coughing fits. Her husband had helped to relieve at least some of her illness and a healer was brought in everyday with medicine.

Another lucky factor was that the sickness was not anything too serious, but rather was just a case of the flu that could be easily remedied within a few days of course.

So after that one week, Katara was fully recovered and she was grinning from ear to ear. Baby Bumi was gurgling happily and Kya was bouncing up and down in excitement that her mother was finally up and ready to go. The little waterbender in particular was looking forward to her mother staying up to tell her short stories before she went to bed.

And so, two days later, Katara was doing just that.

The mother sat poised on the edge of her daughter's bed, deep gray sheets crinkled underneath her night gown, and she regaled the child with the story of the adventures that took place within the Cave of Two Lovers and even went so far as to sing her the nomad's song about it.

"Two lovers forbidden from one another," she sang confidently, "A war divides their people…"

Kya beamed and chimed in, "…and a mountain divides them apart!"

"From the path for them to be together!"

The girls were laughing and practically shouting in harmony as the verses of the tune went on to the more dynamic and upbeat parts: "Secret tunnel! Secret tunnel! Through the mountain!" They swayed with the beat and smiled widely, moving in tandem with each other, and then the mother finally shifted to hug her eldest and fluffed the sheets over her protesting and giggling form. Kya's legs kicked out and her chuckles petered out, then her eyes were closed and she was still with that smile on her face, soundly exhausted and asleep.

But when Kya was sleeping, Katara felt fatigued herself. She was not sure if it was the remnants of her previous fever or if she was simply tired from finally participating in the activities she had missed out on with her family after seven days. Her lower back ached and she was so sure that she felt a little dizzy, but in the end she chalked it up to the last dregs of illness leaving her body.

She felt a warm palm on her shoulder and she was glad that Aang was rapidly there to guide her back to their room as she stumbled her way past the doorframe, glancing only for a second at their daughter who was peacefully slumbering, her head engulfed by the feathered pillow and her form curled up with the blankets, content.

And in a flash Katara thought she saw another little girl lying next to her, obviously younger, with lighter brown hair tied up in a ponytail. She somehow knew that that little girl's eyes would be gray just like her father's and that she would have a contagious laugh that would sound musical to anyone. Somehow, she knew that this little girl was the sister to Kya and that she was sweet and beautiful.

Then in that same second, the little girl disappeared in another flash and it was just Kya sleeping alone on her bed.

Katara shook her head and the couple walked away to their own room to retire for the evening.

In bed, the mother could picture the little girl she thought she saw in her mind. As Aang's chest rose and fell as he slept next to her, she could not get the image out of her mind of the child that she knew would laugh as she jumped on top of the smaller sky bison in the stables and blasted air from her hands as she twirled away mischievously from Bumi who would chase her with a tree branch he had discovered on the path towards a forest.

And the girl, though Katara was not aware of her name, would only trip her older brother when she sneezed and more air would lift her off the ground; she would be a talented airbender.

With those thoughts lodged into her dreams for the moment, the Avatar's wife closed her eyes, still feeling rather weak, and fell into a deep sleep.

"_Don't forget me," _the tiny airbender alleged in her imaginings, _"I'll be here only for a little while, so don't forget me."_

In her mind, the trees were whistling in the wind, their leaves rustling with greens and browns in preparation for the season of autumn. The clouds were white and cumulous with swirls coming off of them in rivulets and the atmosphere was clear without any dust or particles that were prone to hit one's eyes as they waded through the thickening air.

"_How could I forget you?" _dream-Katara asked with confusion. _"You're right here." _Though, she did not know exactly who she was talking to. She had never met anyone like this person before and that was a fact that she was so sure about. So why was this scene so difficult for her?

Her heart seemed to hurt.

"_Trust me," _the girl only said, dutifully disregarding the woman's comment.

As if the wind could tell what was about to happen, it picked up and became more unruly and violent. Katara could barely keep still. She gripped onto her skirt in an attempt to have it stay down. The blue fabrics of her dress flapped everywhere and the gales made swishing noises in her eardrums that resounded and pounded like drums atop a mountain that echoed to the valley below.

A nearby translucent river thundered and the leaves moved again and again in circles that appeared like they were miniscule tornadoes, slicing into the earth. A leaf hit her face and blocked her vision for exactly one second and then the little girl was slightly closer to her and her fingers were twitching like they were controlling some of the air.

But in a grand whirl of a gust, the girl was lifted off the ground and she vanished as if she never stood there before, a figment of the imagination.

"_Don't forget me…" _The child's lips moved to form another few words, but the woman could not hear it.

And then Katara sat up abruptly. Something was not right. She felt light headed and that dream still lingered in the back of her mind like the plague. She did not know what it meant. But then, she felt something wet and thick trickling down her leg and in a burst of sudden frantic energy, she brushed off the bed sheets in a frantic flourish.

There was a crimson puddle of blood and she screamed, immediately waking Aang who shuddered awake.

Without knowing it, she was already sobbing and her cheeks were wet with tears. Her chest heaved and heaved and heaved; she had never felt so utterly lost before. Arms were tightly and protectively grippeding her close and she could hear the steadily beating heart of his, thumping away and trying to soothe her.

"Shh," Aang murmured, voice cracking as he realized what had occurred that night. His embrace tightened as she trembled and he with her. "Kya and Bumi…we still have Kya and Bumi…"

They felt like empty words but she knew deep down that they were true and Aang was not just trying to console her, but himself as well. Nevertheless, her heart burned like nothing ever before and she barely registered that he had carefully carried her from bed and was washing her legs gently with a wet cloth. He shuddered quietly and tried to ignore the still form of flesh that had fallen out and into the chamber pot moments later.

Aang averted his eyes, not disgusted, but rather devastated.

Tears prickled at his eyes too and even as he gently took his wife's hand in his and used his thumb to draw calming circles on the back of hers, they cried together. He wanted to be strong for her, so he held his breath and kept his tears as in check as possible.

"Aang," Katara breathed, hiccupping. "I—"

But he cut her off softly. "It's okay. Don't say anything," And she nodded, grateful that he understood that there were no proper words for either of them.

She leaned in and clutched his bare arms to her middle, feeling his hands encircle her.

Neither of them slept for the rest of the night, thoughts of the lost little girl still wandering their thoughts as she moved with the air and breathed it in so naturally as if she was a part of it, and Katara told Aang so.

In the early sunrise hours, Katara monotonously stated, "She was an airbender, you know," and Aang placed his head into the crook of her neck, inhaling deeply.

"An airbender," he whispered.

The shaking woman closed her eyes and bowed her head so that the loose strands of her hair covered most of her face. "Finally an airbender," she quivered out, "and now she's gone."

The Avatar did not know what to say to that.

And they continued the next few weeks in almost silence. There was tension in the Air Temple when the others had found out what had occurred. Aang and Katara grew distant from others but themselves and their immediate family. Their loss hit heavily upon them and even Kya was more subdued than usual. Bumi wailed less and the lemurs were less rowdy. People were overly polite to them, but neither really noticed.

The weeks transformed into months until one day Sokka visited the family, a sigh on his lips.

Without any warning, he showed up on their doorstep even without Suki by his side. He looked his sister intently in the eye, noted Bumi and Kya, and then switched to Aang who had answered the door. They sat around the living room and it had been silent for the first few minutes.

Sokka's gaze was resolute and then he said the two simplest words that none of them had expected to hear at that moment.

"Stop it," he rumbled. Then he stood up, walked past them without another word, and turned his back on them with fierce determination until he was already on a boat back to the mainland Republic City.

The family never knew what hit them exactly, but the results were sudden and it was like a light had returned to their eyes.

They had to keep moving.

Aang breathed and gathered his wife and kids in his arms, hugging them snugly and close. So in those last few seconds of their depression, the final remnants of it dissipated when they were snapped to their senses, all together and all as one, as it should be.

Katara had finally smiled for real in what had felt like an eternity and their foreheads touched and the children giggled. The lemurs were suddenly bubbling with energy and Nana in particular was back to begging for fruit. The strain abruptly lifted at those simple words. Life had returned and life would continue on.

For it was around the same time the following year, about a year before another child was to be born, that Katara announced that she was pregnant again. Two-year-old Bumi bounced on his father's lap, excitably awaiting his new sibling because at least he would not be the youngest anymore, and Kya was jumping up and down.

And nine months later, Tenzin was born. In fact, he was born on the same date and time that his older sister would have been, and a blessing in the night. His happy birth and memory overshadowed the sad one but at least, in Katara's darkest hour, she was able to remember those last words: _"Don't forget me…Mama…Papa…" _

Neither of them did forget her.


	7. Protection

**AN: Even though this is so obviously late, we have finally arrived to the last prompt in this oneshot series. Each oneshot is loosely connected (and even very loosely connected to my Kataang Week oneshots from last year). Here, Kya is twelve, Bumi is ten, and Tenzin is seven. It's been a great ride, folks.**

**Day Seven: Protection**

_**Devotion  
**__The heart can think of no devotion  
Greater than being shore to the ocean-  
Holding the curve of one position,  
Counting an endless repetition._

_- Robert Frost_

When two of Aang and Katara's children were already in the double digits, things in Republic City started to shake up, and that started especially when Yakone, the self-proclaimed leader of the Triads was suspected to be a bloodbender.

However, with the Avatar himself on the case, the Triad activities greatly diminished and there was barely a trace of them for a long while with the help of the Chief of Police, Toph Bei Fong. In short, it had been a very trying year that was finally coming to an end and oddly enough, it was peaceful for the time being. Aang and his friends could not have been more thankful. Sokka was already throwing hissy fits and complaining to the worst possible person: Zuko.

Things had gotten to the point where the friends felt safe enough to go to City Hall without much of a fit, and at the end of the night the group would walk out with as much as a sigh on their tongues and a wish to walk around the park with a relaxing paper cup of mango juice bought from one of the wandering wheeled stalls.

So on one of those evenings, the original Team Avatar minus the Firelord and his wife, were gathered around in the Bei Fong's compound estate surrounded by earthen floors, sliding doors, and bright jade terracotta roof tiles.

From the Fire Nation was the visiting only daughter of Zuko and Mai. She was known as the beauty of the royal family, her eyes golden and twinkling with kindness and her skin perfect with just a slight rosy flush. Her hair was sleek and black just like her mother's and she was the second oldest only to Sokka's eldest son who had one other younger brother. To the right of Princess Ursa sat a pouting six-year-old Lin Bei Fong and a grinning Toph who had her arms smugly crossed across her chest.

Poor Lin was being poked continuously by one of the boys, his warrior's wolf tail sticking up all over the place on the top of his head in a messy, pudgy ponytail.

"Stop that," Ursa said with a reprimanding tone and she slapped the teenager's hand. "Can't you see she hates it?"

Sokka only laughed at the attitude. "Aw he's just being a good kid—" then his younger sister smacked him on his forehead with an annoyed look, "—_ow_, Katara! I was only joking!"

"Keep at it and your kids will grow up to be as insufferable as you are!" ground out the Avatar's wife, her teeth gritting together.

Besides the bickering Water Tribe siblings, the group laughed happily for the rest of the evening. Though the families met fairly often, it was one of those times when they did not feel a lingering sensation of the world hanging on their shoulders via nagging council members and meetings, and with the threats finally dipping below the warning line, all of them were quite content in indulging in that single carefree evening.

When the hour grew into a late one, all families decided it was time to retire and instead of parting to their usual destinations, decided it would not hurt to sleep over at Toph's family home. She certainly did not mind, though she pretended that she did. They all knew better, especially when she guided the families to their respective rooms with all but a smirk on her face.

Kya, Bumi, and Tenzin shared a room and their parents were led to a bedroom right next to theirs. The princess was to get her own quarters and Sokka would stay with his boys as Suki was out checking up on things on Kyoshi Island while he stayed home with their children.

And so the night was peaceful. The soft pitter-patter of snow could be heard hitting the roof in broken patterns, and though the wind was chilly, the residents of the home were warm. For a while they slept into the darkness, not a care in the world.

But then all hell broke loose when the first boulder burst through the walls.

There was suddenly screaming and Toph was earthbending the rock out of her home as she was the first one to have felt the vibrations with her feet. Earthen spikes shot out at her, but she was not one of the greatest earthebnders in the world for nothing. The unsuccessful attacks shattered uselessly when she pounded them into dust.

Sokka and his kids dashed out of their room, boomerangs and swords in hand with fierce looks in their matching blue eyes. The father led the teenagers to a back hallway where he told them to hide and run if need be and surprisingly he was only met with minimal protests.

Ursa used her firebending to create a shield of flame when a piece of rock headed straight toward little Lin and the attack instantly melted into a molten pile of liquid-hot mush upon the ground.

Aang and Katara were already in motion, back-to-back, but they were well aware of who was attacking them. It was the rogue former Dai Li agents that were banished from the Fire Nation. They were known to be totally against the Avatar and especially the Firelord. They itched for the war they could no longer fight in because it had been ended for years.

However, that did not stop them from trying to start one up again.

"Kya! You and your siblings need to get out of here and hide with the other kids!" bellowed Katara, a water whip rapidly forming in her hands.

"But—" the teenaged waterbender tried to object, but to no avail.

"Listen to me! You have no place here!" And soon the mother was shoving her children around a corner to follow the others who had hidden in a secret room towards the back of the Bei Fong compound area. They disappeared and all she and her husband could see was Bumi grabbing Tenzin's hand defensively and a short blast of air and flourish of clothing as they turned behind a pillar and into the outdoor halls.

"They'll be okay," Aang reassured his wife and then he punched a fist into the earth, easily knocking over a few of their enemies. They would be done in no time.

Then Katara turned gracefully and a rock came hurtling to her head and though Aang was able to stop it in time, a chip of it came off and grazed the skin just above her eyebrow and there was a cut and blood was dripping into her eye and Aang grew wide eyed and horrified and enraged at the man that tried to kill his loved one…

ooo

An angry shout filled the air just as the three siblings rounded a corner and into the garden where they knew the others were waiting. They were to slide one of the heavy tiles in particular and slip into the secret bunker below, a room that was made as a precaution by their Aunt Toph which they saw now was a definite plus.

Just as Kya was about to drag her brothers towards the stone, Bumi stopped them, feet grinding into the grass.

"We need to go back," the non-bender preteen alleged firmly.

Kya swiveled on her heels with a scowl gracing her features. "Are you crazy?!" she bellowed to her younger brother. "You heard what mom said! We _need _to go in there," and she pointed fiercely to the square stone near to them. "I'm supposed to make sure you guys get in there, whether you like it or not!"

Bumi pulled back, angrily loosing the grip his sister held on his wrist. "You sound like you plan on going back!"

"Yeah," and the girl clenched her fists harshly, "I do! I can _heal_!"

"If _you're_ going, then _I'm _going!" and the boy stormed off in a sprint, quickly leaving behind Tenzin who appeared utterly shocked and terrified. With a sudden determined expression, he followed after his older brother and their sister was hot on their heels, yelling at them to stop only to end up as a fruitless effort.

So they ran and ran, following each other like they were attached by the waist, tied together on an extremely long rope. As a snake would, they moved throughout the outdoor hallways that they had just skidded through moments before, but instead they were rushing in the opposite direction and into the brawl that they left behind.

A piece of debris rolled into view and each child jumped to the side to avoid it, keenly intent on reaching the adults who they felt were still fighting against the intruders. Dust scattered from the ceiling like the snow that littered the dead grass outside. They shivered and rubbed their hands together as they quickened the pace.

_Bam._

And abruptly the earth beneath their feet began to shudder ominously, like a lion was clearing his throat and rumbling in preparation for the loudest and most powerful roar he had ever released.

In response, the three siblings tripped and fell down as one on top of the other in a haphazard pile of limbs and chaos. They tumbled over each other and their bodies were shaking in fear because each of them knew and could fully understand just exactly what was happening to them because they lived around earthbenders before. One of the former Dai Li agents had found them.

The seemingly middle aged attacker was clad in ragged clothing, an eerie seriousness encircling him like a storm cloud would before the thunder clapped and lightning raged and a typhoon overtook the oceans.

He growled and his fists thrust out in swift succession and pebbles picked up and shot out at the kids painfully.

Tenzin, still an airbender in training and quite young, made futile efforts to shield them with noticeably weaker air than his father's. But as he turned and caught the terrified expressions of his older sister and brother, he could not help but think of all the expectations that the world had put on him as the only other airbender besides the Avatar himself.

He _had _to be like his father. He had to.

So, without thinking, he blew a blast of air to Bumi and Kya, effectively knocking them backward, and he held up his arms in a protective manner, getting ready to attempt to emit a hopefully powerful gale.

The boulder came closer and closer.

And closer still.

Until it was almost brushing the tip of his nose and for some reason he could not bring his arms out to create the counterattack he was wishing so hard he could create…

_Screech…BANG!_

Tenzin cracked open his gray eyes to see the billowing deep orange robes of his father in a stance that he recognized as the one he himself had attempted to recreate. All in one shot, the man that had tried to make a move on the children was unconscious, a bit of drool leaking from between his parted lips, and the ground was mightily scratched by the aftermath.

The boy was grateful that his parent had arrived and was even more grateful when he spotted his mother next to him.

But the relief washed away in an instant when he saw the absolutely furious expression that Aang exuded.

Now, Avatar Aang was widely known as a sweet tempered man who barely raised his voice or even got angry at all. He was easy to please and difficult to irritate. Though he radiated a constant aura of power and authority, he made it a point to never come across as a man that was intimidating but rather a person that could be negotiated with and talked to. So when Tenzin saw his father like that, he knew that he was in trouble.

"Kya!" the Avatar bellowed, his lips snarling, "You're the oldest! You should know better!" And then he set his eyes on Bumi who was just behind her. "And Bumi! What were you thinking…letting your brother do something like that?!"

He rounded on the six-year-old himself and Tenzin had never felt so small in his life.

"All of you," Aang finally fumed out, "You're lives were in danger! Did you even think about that?!" His shoulders were tense and shuddering. "You should have listened to your mother!"

At that, Katara appeared near to her husband, a strange look of calm on her face. She gently touched his shoulder and said gently, "Aang, your arm is cut…let me heal you."

His silver eyes alighted on his wife, his gaze softening, but with that cold edge still tingeing it. His eyebrows furrowed in the middle and he resignedly sighed what he made an attempt to compose himself. The cold hurried through the outdoor halls and made the family shiver, but Aang did not seem to feel it at all, even as snow began to coat the tips of his cloak.

He stared at his children and said, "You are my family," and then with a look that Katara would remember as one that resembled a person not just lost in thought but lost and broken, he added, "all of you," and his stare shifted to the light mark above her eye.

"Let me _protect_ you," he continued softly, and then he turned and marched away, his cape flying.

Katara thumbed the scratch right about her eye with a thoughtful countenance and then she tried to mildly explain to her children that their father was just angry because he was scared…scared of losing them and that maybe they should all try to understand him.

She loved Aang, she really did. So, she stressed to them too how much he loved them back.

And it was not until years later that Tenzin fully understood the grunt of what his father was trying to tell him, his siblings, and his mother. It was not until he was looking Amon straight in the mask and telling him to get away from his family. It was not until he was yelling at Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo to _run to their mother and Rohan _and _get out of there and don't try to fight him off_, that he really understood just what kind of drive his father had to protect his loved ones that night.

And it was not until he and his family finally reached the Southern Water Tribe and his elderly mother that he really appreciated it.

Katara would tell her adult son that his father would be proud and that she was proud of him too.

All because he was able to protect what was most precious to him.

All because he could protect the future.

And the words also rang in Katara's head, "_Let me _protect _you._"

_**Fin.**_


End file.
